New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-13
THE DRAMA-MUSIO.
WING AS MATTHIAS AND JINGLE.

else may be true of Mr. Irvngs artit Ia always ruo
that this actor inspires and sustas deep and absorb
ing interest He cannot become commonplace. whcr
aver he appears the eye Involuntary follows him. the
Imagination is aroused by him. and the sense Of ILLUSION
ia filed and satisfied by his presence and his proceed
ngs This denotes the principal cause OF his
binary and incessant That cause IL the attri
butte OF Is the essential characteristic OF
genius II is reinforced, in this instance by intense
temperament and ndomitabe mental energy. Mr.. Try.
ing has never, from the beginning OF his professional
career which in the retrospect is found to be cOnnu
Gus and cumuative-becn turned away from his intel.
Iectual purpose He looks far into the future anil he
aims at those artistic which he to be
stiles in the development OF human thought and expert
ence This denoted in his choice. after another
of the great subjects 1t inevitable that he should
choose Faust" and it inevitable That he should
win great and splendid with it, he has DONE
a1d will continue to do while the little voices of dpar
oeement pipe forth their petty discomfort (Which means
inconvenience to understand HIM, and die away
Needed II is unknown that he has chosen for dra-
matte Illustration hereafter the wonderfully comprchen
siye and representative life and character OF Don
Ouixote the supremacy pathetic story OF King Arthur
and Guinevere. and the colossal shakespearian charac
tiers OF Macbeth and King Lear.
The pnissance of his design In all TINS resides In its
close correspondence with the mental and spiritual
needs OF the age These themes with the lines OF thought
which necessarily they open, are precisely the nccess
ties OF the contemporary mind. Guided 10y such high
Intelligence OF purpose and inyincble with the charm
that invests his not to speak OF the magic oil Ellen
Terrys auy ar power his natural pathway Is that OF
CONQUEST Your artist does not compel by force he
aures by sympathy. You love the slnple strains OF
Robert Burns alone because they express Tue poet
but because they utter something that is in your own
heart and thus the needs OF your own spirit 1t
ia inst so with dramatic and can be leader
in 1t who does recognize the requirements oil the hui
man soul and the needs of his day. and possess the
faculty and the charm 10 answer then NOBODY realized
what Henry Irving intended 10 do with Hnh"', In
The Bells when first he undertook that part ami no.
even his closest friends believed that he wond accom-
psh anything by playing 1t. The actor knew that one
of the greatest necessities OF time is poetic AMI I'M
aeinave influence tighten the widely dhused burden
of materalisn and temper the OF science In All
our lives Probably also lie had inuye BELIEF that his
acting would charm the public mind lie was right Ills
ideal of the haunted murderer formed in the highest
mood OF imagination and expressed with degree d
passionate yigor intense sympathy, mental concenira
tion and pictorial art such would be worthy OF even
the sublime conception OF Monfred-complete.y cap'
waited the imaginative part of the public, and at once
took its place among the great works OF dramatic ait Z.
reaine all its pristine power and weird beauty All 's
psthos and all its marvellous excellence OF complete ar
tistic detail held great audience spell last
night aud again it emphasized for the thoughtful oo-
server the enormous. the incalculabe value OF that
magnetic quality without which the best OF acting IS
! tedious "A twicc-tOlt tale,
IeXing the dull ear Of a dTOWsy man.
The enthusiasm OF the audience was sislled IN three
recalls for Mr. Irving. before the evening Was half over
and he was loudly cheered from all parts of the house
Bells and Jingle 20 well together. After The
Bells came the little SKETCH derived from The PICK
wick Papers" called Jingle" in which Tor
the first time in America, Mr. Irving imper>onuel
Al6ed Jingle the vagabonl actor The character 81
Innate has been clearly drawn by Dickens ami pre-
sens neither subtcty especial difficulty lie an
actor who la. had hard lot in the world. s,rivng to
nick ND living at first BY his art afterward by Ai'
wits IN tune when strolng players were esteemed IS
little better gypsies or Deggars lie l. weak II Ih
c,ple rather than wicked IN mind. AMI volatile In TEN
perameut rather than bad at heart He mag be de-
scrib,d indeed As a good fellow who has gone wrong
for want OF the restraining and saving influence Of Nrt
ous and refined compauionship the domestic tie OF TAM
ilv nfe and such experience n. awakenS dormant
perception OF the dignity Of human nature lie - iva
cous lroll shrcw quizzca humorous. and cNcc'sT cy
funny Above ALL he is the rafting fcatherbiG1 person
implied by his name Mr. Iryinl'Nho uaIc profession
hit wars ago as JcrcBy Didsr naturally Thought OF
Jinge as good part for the exercise OF hs spof ~ A
NOR IL the custom ot the serious actors III n'o on
days the Eugll>n stage 10 diversity thelV
plolts with something light and cheerful FdrricN VINO
eNcee in Lear likewise line IN bci i'r gyrr Inc
elder Booth .who peerless IN Nlr "tes Dcffrnc",
found relief sometimes IN playing Jrf1g Nnrd. IN Tug
/ Mayor OF Garratt, or JODt lump, IN Inc b'FIr",
Nh Irving affords new example OF that ancient pidc'
tee III, fmper>ouatiOn OF Jgls was ike ray 81 >h'
shine after the terrible gloom ot Ihe bel+ -hu nv
| nerformance i not all sportve There u \
nYr touch OF setuea.t In it-for the reclamation OK
/ the vagahond T. suggested, not less than MS
comic mood an state Of tie social outlaw. T.,
Ihs performance grotesquc IA nhuior ana very ~
licrors and received with amsst contlnna !+N-1
ter several good were SET faithful 20 EA-.,i
helped reproduce the essential character OF the PcS
wick Papers